


Struggle and Anguish

by Escudo



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26996425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Escudo/pseuds/Escudo
Summary: Left to his own devices, a young Bolin finds a book written by a Father. The contents prove to be promising, so he takes it with him.Will update tags as story progresses.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Fortunate Literature, Unfortunate People

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little project I'm working on to get back into the swing of writing. While I plan for it to get a bit darker as it goes own, I wanted to start off relatively light and get some practice in writing dialogue. First attempt at writing fanfiction for ATLA or Legend of Korra, but I love both shows and took a liking to Bolin and Sokka so it seemed like something I should give a shot at.
> 
> No Beta reader, but if anyone hits me up with some glaring issues I'll try to correct them as fast as I can.

* * *

Bolin was a lot of things.

He was an 8-year old boy. He was an orphan. He was a younger brother. He was hungry.

Spirits, was he hungry.

This wasn't anything new, really. Since their parents had died, he and his brother had come to know hunger intimately. Mako had stepped up as best as he could, and at 10-years old he was making remarkable headway in the world's toughest city - taking odd jobs that paid in either money or food, occasionally running numbers for one of the gangs that inhabited the city, and more-than-occasionally stealing food from one of the city's markets. 

But for two growing boys without a reliable income, it was never enough. Mako had done his best to limit Bolin's involvement, wanting to protect him from the shadier side of life on the streets of Republic City, but by doing so had often had to leave Bolin to his own devices. 

So Bolin began stealing too. 

It had started one day when his brother had been gone all day working. Their last meal had been meager, and several days past, and he could feel the hunger pangs like a knife to the stomach. So while he was wandering around a market during the lunchtime rush of foot-traffic, he had grabbed an apple from a fruit stand while the purveyor was haggling with a customer and slipped into a nearby alleyway before taking off in a run. 

After a couple minutes of racing away, his heart beating in his ears from both fear and the sudden burst of sprinting, he realized that no one was coming after him. He hadn't been seen, there were no police chasing him down or merchants demanding payback. The purveyor probably hadn't even noticed that anything had been taken. 

He laughed in excitement. 

The human stomach shrinks after a long period of eating less than you were meant to. A little quicker if you weren't eating at all. He didn't understand how exactly it worked, but he imagined that the stomach just began eating itself - since that was how it felt. Apples were naturally filling, and he had grabbed a large one. In his mind, he may as well have gotten away with a purse of gold. 

He ate half of it and felt like a king. When he offered the other half to Mako when they met up again that night, his brother had looked worried at him for stealing, but accepted the fruit with a smile and split the loaf of bread he had gotten with him. It was the first time in weeks either of them had felt full.

So Bolin had kept doing it. 

It wasn't always the same thing, he'd go to different markets at different times, and although no one had chased him the first time, he never forgot the fear of thinking that someone was after him. So he never took anything from somewhere where he wouldn't have a quick route out from, with at least a few different turns.

* * *

  
After a while, food wasn't the only thing that he was stealing. Once he had gotten the hang of it, he would sometimes find himself notices similar opportunities in other places. 

The first time was when he had been swimming in the Yue Bay by the beach. Besides being a fun way to kill time while his brother was gone, he was able to wash himself and sometimes talk to other kids whose parents had brought them by. 

When he was getting out of the water and heading towards his clothes, he noticed a people had left their belongings unattended on a towel nearby.

There were a pair of shoes in good condition and were about his size, maybe a size or two bigger. His own shoes were already a size too small, and had holes in them besides, and the family they belonged to (who he now observed were playing happily together out in the water) had looked well off. So after he got dressed he put them on instead of his own and had just walked off.

It had felt a little different, taking something from actual people instead of a business. It wasn't until he started crying on the way to meet Mako that he realized he felt guilty. He didn't take the shoes back, they were too nice to get rid of and going back would raise questions he didn't want to answer, but he avoided pilfering from regular people afterwards. 

The second time had been at the public library. It wasn't a place he went to as often as he would like, but it was free and they had fresh water and bathrooms and everybody was welcome inside. 

Also, he and his brother had already been taught to read by their parents - so although a lot of the material in there was above his skill-level, he was often to find something he could use to practice reading with and pass the time. Usually it was storybooks he gravitated towards. He liked to read tales of adventure, heroes fighting and defeating the bad guys before enjoying a happy ending. 

How he longed to be one of those heroes. Princes, Avatars, and warriors taking on impossible odds and coming out on top; basking in respect and admiration, earning riches, and falling in love. The last one always made him feel a little weird, love seeming like a silly and far-off thing, but it made him think of his family so it still made him smile.   
  
This time though, he had found a different kind of book. He assumed that it had been misplaced, since it did't seem to be story like the other on the shelf. It was smaller than most of the other books there, though a bit larger than a pocket book. 

> **Struggle & Anguish:**  
>  **A Father's Guide to Meat, Life, and Earthbending**

Bound in what appeared to be some sort of animal hide, he also noticed that the whole thing seemed to be written by hand. It seemed like an interesting read, and he liked the stylish (if somewhat inaccurate) drawing of a badgermole on the Table of Contents page - which itself seemed to indicate that this book contained information on preparing & cooking meat, general life advice, and some earthbending tips. 

He himself was an earthbender, or at least that's what Mako told him. Apparently, when he was a couple years younger and watching his brother learn some basic firebending from their mother, he had tried to copy him in lighting one of the torches they had set up in the park. Frustrated after several attempts without any luck, he sat down crying and punched the ground - causing a small pillar of earth to lift up below the unlit torch and launch it out of sight. 

He didn't remember any of that. He did vaguely recall his father's face lighting up when his mother told him about it later that evening, and the man promising to start teaching him when he had some time off that weekend. 

Of course, he never got the chance. Before that weekend came, his parents would be dead at the hands of a firebending mugger - eyes glassed over and the putrid smell of burnt fles... He shook his head to clear himself from that train of thought, it never led anywhere productive. 

Maybe with this he could teach himself to earthbend. Bending schools cost more than regular school, which was already out of reach, and it was common knowledge that technique scrolls and other writings tended to be hoarded in private collections or by those same schools. Maybe if he could bend, he could find a job that paid enough for him to help Mako. Maybe they could actually have a home again. Bolin smiled.

 _'Besides_ ,' he thought happily as he stuck the small book into the waist of his pants and pulled his shirt over the top of it, ' _couldn't hurt to be better with meat the next time we have some.'_

The thought of having a source of a father's life advice was a less-conscious but equally warming one. 

* * *

Opening the book again that night under the light of a streetlamp, the first thing Bolin took the time to read was the dedication page. 

> _For only one of the two girls I love most, Lin._  
>  _(The other can't read)._  
>  _I've loved you since before you were born._

The second sentence was following by another drawing, this time of a winking face with a wide smile. Maybe it was an inside joke meant for that Lin girl? He liked to think so, that the author cared enough about her to add a personal touch like that. 

He didn't have any meat, so he skipped those sections for the moment. Besides, he wanted to get to the earthbending stuff as soon as possible. Turning to the first Earthbending section, he began to read.

> _I am not an earthbender myself, but that doesn't mean I have skimped on this section. I have watched Toph Beifong teach Avatar Aang earthbending, fought with and against earthbenders during the 100-year war, and researched extensively to obtain material for this book._
> 
> _There are basic tips for getting started, instructions on how to develop further, exercises for mastering your techniques, and stories of earthbending legends to provide insight and inspiration._
> 
> _Maybe one day you'll be one of those legends._
> 
> _There are many things that can be accomplished with your power, but the first thing you need to learn is how to move a rock. Place one in front of you now._
> 
> _Toph says you must have a sturdy stance, and be like a rock yourself._
> 
> _Take a somewhat wide stance, with your feet a little more than shoulder-width apart and your knees bent to lower your center of gravity. No one is built the same, so make adjustments until it feels both comfortable and balanced - like someone walking by could bump your shoulder and your feet wouldn't move. Many earthbenders, especially Toph, recommend doing this barefoot to maintain a connection to the earth._
> 
> _After you have your basic stance down, the next step should be to enter the mindset of 'being like a rock yourself'. While in your stance, think of yourself as being powerful, unyielding like the mountains to the wind. You are as immovable as the ground beneath your feet._
> 
> _Now keep ahold of that feeling, and focus on the rock in front of you. Punch in its direction. It should feel like there is a force pushing between you and it, but if you're sturdy, if you **know** you're immovable, that force should push the rock away. _

Excited, Bolin kicked his new shoes off and grabbed a pebble from the road and placed it in front of him. He spread his legs and bent his knees. It was a little unconfortable, so he spred his legs a bit more and then bounced his legs until he found an angle that made him feel stable but didn't hurt his knees. He twisted his feet in the ground until he had them angled so that he was placing just a bit more pressure on the balls of his feet. 

This was it, it felt.. right. He hoped it was right.

He sent a punch in direction of the pebble a few feet away and nothing happened. Immediately, he felt dismayed, but he wasn't going to give up yet. 

' _My stance is sturdy, I think I'm immovable_.' He glanced to the side at the open book, and focused on the word " **know** " in bold. He took a few slow breaths.

 _'I'm immovable. My stance is sturdy, my feet are dug into the ground, I will not be moved.'_ Another breath, and he closed his eyes. ' _I cannot be moved_.' He punched again.

Bolin heard a clacking sound and opened his eyes, the pebble had rolled away a few steps. He smiled. Eyes open this time, he kept his focus on the pebble and punched with the other hand. ' _I am immovable, I cannot be moved_.'

It rolled away again, farther this time. Grinning, he went back to the book and flipped around until he found the first piece of life advice. 

> _Before I begin giving you my advice, I want you to know that I'm not perfect. I've made a lot of mistakes, squandered opportunities I didn't recognize were there until they were gone, and even some of my best decisions have carried with them regrets that will haunt me._
> 
> _So it's safe so say that a lot of this is going to be based off of what I know from experience not to do._
> 
> _The first thing I want you to know is that you should always listen deeply, especially towards those you care about._
> 
> _This means that when you're speaking to somebody, don't just listen to what they're saying. Listen to how they're saying it. Watch their face so you can see how what they're saying affects them. Try to put what they're saying in context of what you know about them before you respond._
> 
> _This is something that has helped me in my career and personal relationships with family and friends. Maybe if I had learned it earlier, I could have recognized some social cues regarding the squandered opportunities I mentioned earlier._
> 
> _It's not easy and can be emotionally exhausting, but that's a small price to pay for helping others._

Bolin closed the book somberly and put it away in the bag he carried his few possessions in. He didn't think he quite understood, but he'd try it out the next chance he had. 

* * *

"Hey Bolin," Mako called out as he approached from around the corner. He waved with a couple sodas in hand, a new fizzy drink that had become popular lately and was a rare treat for them. Bolin smiled at the gesture and tried to put his reading to use. 

Mako was grinning at him, but he sounded more tired than usual. He had a couple of dark marks on the sleeves of his shirt, probably did some work gathering and burning trash for people today. He was standing a little lopsided, a glance down showed that the sole on of his shoes had started to come off. 

Bolin's smile dimmed, but he kept it in place - it wouldn't do to worry his brother when he had obviously had a rough day. He briefly looked down at his own feet, bare and comfortable on the stone pavement, then over to the new shoes he had kicked off earlier, a size too big for him. 

"Hey Mako! Come here, I got some new shoes for you!" He picked them up and handed them over. His brother seemed surprised for a moment before trying them on, a perfect fit on his slightly larger feet. Some of the tension in him seem to melt away in the comfort of being balanced again. "How are they?"

"It's great, Bo." Mako said, before noticing Bolin's own bare feet. "What happened to your shoes?" 

Seeing his brother's brow furrow, Bolin quickly responded "Finally broke down completely, but I'm an earthbender so I'll be fine! It's actually kinda comforting feeling the stone beneath my feet." He wiggled his toes on the pavement a bit as if to prove a point. 

"Maybe, but you haven't actually learned any earthbending yet." Mako said uncertainly. "It's probably better if you take t-" 

"Actually, that's something else I wanted to show you. Check this out!" Bolin turned and took his stance and focused on another nearby pebble. He took a breath and imagined he was a rock. ' _Immovable'_ ', he punched and the pebble lifted and shot forward, embedding itself into a nearby wall with a startling ***crack***. 

It was a bit more than he was expecting, but satisfied he turned back to a stunned Mako. "I found a book at the library with some earthbending lessons in it! I'll probably need to find something when winter comes, but that's months away, I'm good for now." Bolin gestured towards the new shoes still being worn by his brother, "You need those more than I do, especially with how hard you've been working. And they're a better fit for you anyway."

Mako looked back at him, seeming to search for something before sighing. After a few moments he replied in a voice strained with emotion. "..Thank you, Bolin." Mako was smiling too, now, and his eyes seemed a little misty. "And that's fantastic that you've finally started bending, I'm really proud of you, you know?"

It's the first time someone said they were proud of him. He supposes that their parents probably had at some point that he could no longer remember, but as he starts to tear up and they drink the sodas together he knew he was going to hold onto the memory of today for the rest of his life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introduces Bolin the street rat. Starts his theft with food, but eventually finds and steals a book uniquely suited to help him in life. Has a heartwarming moment with his brother.


	2. Wind of Change

A few weeks passed, and Bolin continued to read his new book. He wasn't a very fast reader so often when he found a book he'd like it would take him a few days to finish it if he spent a lot of time on it. But this one had some words he didn't know, and some longer ones he knew but hadn't seen spelled out before, so progress was slower. Also, he had been trying to take his time and not reading ahead until he had gotten the hang of what he had covered. 

Not to mention that he had been trying to be more useful in helping out Mako, who after the day they shared sodas had seemed to spend even more time working. Lately, he noticed his brother had been hanging around with Shady Shin more often. It bothered him a little bit, but Mako had assured him he was just running numbers and delivering messages, and he had been bringing back more money and food than usual so he tried not to think about it too much.

Trying to do his part, he stepped up his own efforts foraging in the concrete jungle. For a long time no one had seemed to notice his less-than-scrupulous activities. Until someone did.

It was around noon and, he had gone to a market that overlooked Yue Bay, where one could see Airbender Island in the distance - a place that the ferries seemed to avoid and held a magical and mysterious quality to a child who couldn't imagine leaving the safety of dry land to swim so far.

There was a meat & spices vendor about 7 paces from an alley that he knew from experience had several turns that he could take in the area between the business fronts and the various apartments that lay behind them. The market was busy and full of people, but many of them were distracted by some nearby performers.

They hadn't had meat in a long time, and after the success he had enjoyed with the rest of his new book he was eager to test out the meat section. He imagined how it would taste and began to salivate. He imagined his brothers face when he brought some home. He had a hard time imagining his parents' faces anymore, but the smell reminded him of something his mother had cooked one time. So he melted into the crowd and watched the stall for a few minutes.

Bolin made his move when the merchant had bent over to pick up some change that he had dropped while finalizing a sale of salt and peppercorns to a customer in a funny yellow and orange robe. He grabbed a handful of spiced boar-q-pine and seal jerky without breaking his stride, subtly angling towards the entrance to the alleyway, and after a couple more steps broke into a run. 

* * *

He had already entered the alley by the time he heard the salesman yelling about his missing merchandise. He continued to run, taking a left and the first fork in his path, then a right, followed by another left. Not hearing any footsteps behind him, he stopped and pressed himself up against a wall facing the way he came. He waited for a moment, then turned back around to continue heading towards where he was to meet Mako, and immediately bumped into something hard enough to fall backwards. 

Looking up, it was the man in yellow and orange that he had seen with the vendor. Part of Bolin wondered how this man he had left back at the scene of the crime had suddenly and quietly appeared *in front* of him during his escape, but the larger part took in the serious expression on the man's bearded face and felt something like a cold stone settle in his stomach. 

The man stared at him for a moment before picking up the wrapped jerky Bolin had dropped and holding it out towards him. 

"You don't need to worry about that man coming after you, I reimbursed him for his loss. So as far as he's concerned it was just another transaction."

Mystified, Bolin slowly stood back up and tentatively reached out to accept the package. Slowly opening his bag and placing his newly procured goods inside, his eyes never left the man's face. They were both quiet for a moment before Bolin asked "Why?"

"A good deed is its own reward. Charity has never made someone poor." At this the man's face seemed to relax, although the stern expression remained, "And stealing has never made someone rich. If you're looking for something of worth, you must first look within."

Since they had been living on the streets, he had never experienced kindness from anyone but his brother Mako, indifference being the closest thing to caring he could expect from others, and although he didn't quite understand what the man was saying he immediately took a liking to him and smiled. "I'll try to remember that," he hesitated for a moment, uncertain "..but I was just looking for dinner."

Unexpectedly, the man laughed. 

* * *

Tenzin had tried to be serious.

He had a lifetime of lessons and preparation for becoming the leader of a new nation of airbenders. He had idolized his father, and even now - nearly a decade after his passing, he remained committed to his dream of reviving their culture and restoring balance. 

Not for the first time, he wished that his father was still alive. 

If only he had lived long enough to help him now that he was a father himself. He had two young daughters now, a four-year-old named Jinora and a newborn named Ikki. Increasingly, he worried about the greater problems they would deal with as they grew: moral conundrums, existential crisis, socializing with others.

Then as he's buying spices for Pema he happens upon a boy just a few years older than his own children, who is in a spot of trouble. Trouble that twists his gut when he tries to think of his girls in the same situation - dirty, worn-out clothes, shoeless, risking themselves for a chance of food.

So for the first time in his life he pays for meat, then goes to have a chat with the boy. With his glider he's able to quickly leap up and go over the alleyways, quickly catching up to the lad. 

He tries to speak to the boy in a manner that both befits his position as the wise leader of a nation and helps him practice for a moral conversation with his own children. To be stern, but understanding.

Then, "I'll try to remember that.. but I was just looking for dinner." He couldn't help but break out laughing.

Not for the first time, he wished that his uncle was still alive. 

While his father seemed to be an insurmountable tower of sage advice and idealism, an example any boy should be honored to follow and aspire to, his uncle had always had a talent for pragmatism that helped in the moment. If his father was like a lighthouse in a vast ocean of dark uncertainty, his uncle was the steady hand steering a boat to shore through the ice and rock.

Maybe a touch of pragmatism was something that he needed in this moment. 

"I suppose so, child. I am called Tenzin, what is your name?"

"Bolin, sir."

"Well Bolin, how would you like to join my family and I for lunch?" His uncle had always espoused the virtues of breaking bread to break down barriers.

"..Really? I wouldn't want to be a bother, and I'd have to be back by dark." The boy probably belonged to one of the Republic City orphanages, and needed to abide by curfew.

"Certainly. My wife is has already started the preparations, I was just here to get a couple things for her to finish it. There will be more than enough for you as well and I'm sure she'd love to meet you." 

The boy smiled widely at him as he agreed, and for a moment Tenzin's mind replaced the green in his eyes with blue.

* * *

Pema was worried so often lately. She tried to tell herself that she didn't really have any reason to be: she had a loving and loyal husband, their two children were healthy and precocious, they had no issues with money, and the world was at peace. Maybe it was just part of being a parent - constantly worrying even when nothing was wrong, her mind conjuring scary images as if to help prepare her for any number of eventualities. 

And now as she prepared lunch, still waiting for Tenzin to come back from the errand she sent him on, she couldn't help worrying about Jinora. Her little girl who picked up reading and arithmatic as quickly as she had airbending. She glanced over at the girl waiting at the table, a book in her hand as always. 

Objectively, she tried to tell herself that this was good. Was she supposed to complain about her daughter reading so early and so often? When other parents would kill to have their children do the same?

But there were no other children on the island besides Ikki, who (in addition to being the girl's sister) could not even talk and would not be capable of actual conversation for a couple years yet. Didn't she need friends? People her own age to talk to and confide in, who could understand her perspective without being tainted by the trials of age. Jinora had begun to speak less as she read more, and Pema couldn't remember the last time the girl had really smiled or laughed in excitement. 

She didn't think her daughter was unhappy, per se, but she did think that they would have to figure out some way to let her socialize.

There were schools, but they wanted to teach their children in a manner that complied with the culture of the Air Nomads. Jinora could already read and do math, and Pema couldn't imagine that the new public schools of Republic City offered a curriculum of philosophy, meditation, and spiritual history. 

She heard a door open and pushed those thoughts to the side as her husband entered. She could talk to him about it later, she wondered if he shared her concerns. 

* * *

Jinora closed her book, which was a story about a woman with a painted face who became a powerful spirit after her death and acted as a guardian to her home and the river that sustained it, and turned to welcome back her father when she noticed the boy next to him. He was definitely older than her, with black hair and green eyes. The smile on his face reminded her of Uncle Bumi, who visited sometimes, so she immediately liked him. 

"Hi daddy! Who's that boy with you?" She asked.

"This is Bolin, a young man I met while out shopping today. Bolin, this is my daughter Jinora. Excuse me while I take these spices to your mother."

"Nice to meet ya', Jinora!" The boy said with a grin. He paused for a moment, looking around the room and then back at her. Another moment passed before he continued, "What book are you reading there?"

Happy for the easy ice-breaker, she replied, "Nice to meet you, too. This is called The Painted Lady, a true story about a guardian spirit in the Fire Nation. Do... you like to read too?" It was rare for her to meet other kids, but the few she had met (usually while out in the city with her parents) seemed to think that it was boring or lame. She hoped he wasn't one of those.

"I love it! I don't get to as often as I want, but the library is free so I spend time there when I can." He continued to smile at her and she vaguely noticed the hushed tones of her parents speaking to each other, "I love the stories about heroes and Good vs. Evil! I'd love to hear more about this Painted Lady you're reading about."

She didn't notice and couldn't have stopped the giggle that escaped or the smile that spread across her face as he he sat next to her. "Well, about 400 years ago by the Jang Hui river..."

* * *

Pema accepted the salt from her husband and added a portion to the pot she was stirring as he stood next to her to began crushing the peppercorns with their pestle for her. 

"So," She began with with a sly tone, "I have always known two children wouldn't be enough for you. I didn't think you'd look elsewhere for one of them though. How'd you meet him?"

Tenzin blushed, then grinned at her, "You don't have to worry about me looking elsewhere, Pema. I have a hard enough time keeping my eyes off of you as it is." She was the one blushing now. "I ran into him at the market, he stole some boar-q-pine and seal jerky from the vendor." Come to think of it, he mused, seal jerky was one of Uncle's favorites. It was strange how the boy kept reminding him of the man. 

"He was stealing?" She said in a concerned tone. "The poor dear, he looks like such a nice young boy too." 

Tenzin passed her the crushed peppercorn, which she added to the meal.

She worried her lip for a moment as she began to dish out the vegetarian stew into bowls, "Do you think it was a good idea to bring him here? I don't mind feeding a hungry child, and I don't think he'd mean to but... what if he's a bad influence on Jinora?"

At that moment they heard their daughter giggling and both turned to see her beaming while pointing at something in her book and describing it to a grinning Bolin. Pema almost wanted to cry at the sight.

"Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem."

* * *

They let the children talk amongst themselves as they waited for the stew to cool a bit before setting the table and beginning the meal.

"I'm glad to see that you two are getting along," Tenzin said to the children sitting next to each other. 

"Yeah, Jinora's so cool - I've never met anyone as smart as her!" Bolin exclaimed as Jinora continued smiling. "She knows way more stories than I do."

"Yes, we're very proud of her." Pema added, Jinora going red at the attention. "I'm glad you two share an interest in it, has the orphanage started teaching children how to read now?"

"I don't know, maybe? I don't live at an orphanage. My parents taught me and Mako when we were little" Bolin replied, not noticing the two adults tense, distracted by the vegetable stew they had placed in front of him. He tried a spoonful and lit up. "This is really good, thanks!"

"You're welcome, Bolin, I'm glad you're enjoying it." Pema said kindly, noticing how he seemed a little unsure handling the spoon. "Who is Mako?"

"That's my brother, he's the greatest. He's always working though." 

"How old are you and your brother?" Pema asked, hoping his brother was much much older. 

"I'm eight, he's ten." Bolin replied, still enraptured by the meal in front of him. 

Pema felt her heart break a little at his response. He was eight? He looked so small, she would have guessed six or seven. And his brother was ten? And working? Tenzin appeared a bit more concerned now as well. 

"How long have you two been on your own now?" Tenzin asked.

"A little over two years, I think."

"Where do you stay, if not at the orphanage?" 

"Well, lately we've been staying underneath one of the overpasses in the city, but we move around sometimes. We were at the orphanage for a little while, but there wasn't enough to eat and we didn't like it there, so we left."

There were always poor and homeless people, no matter the location or the era, no matter how prosperous a nation was there were always people that slipped through the cracks of its foundation. Republic City was no different. If Tenzin were to be honest, it was a little worse.

The city had meant to be a bastion of unity and a symbol of progress. But it had grown too fast and during a post-war period when orphans and broken families were the norm rather than the exception. While this had gotten a little better each generation, the rapid progress of technology had had an equally rapid shift in the job market and many struggled to keep up with the changes. As such, Republic City had a significant percentage of homeless and its rate of crime was startlingly high when compared to other large cities like the Fire Capital or Ba Sing Se - both of which had existed for centuries and had an established way of doing things. 

The orphanages were something that the council had founded a couple decades earlier, and they had such high hopes for them at the time. Funding them was always an issue though, and it was difficult to find enough adults to work there for the low wages. There were also fewer adoptions than they would have liked - whether because of the uncertain job market or because of the previous war whose scars could still be felt, many people couldn't bring themselves to risk taking in a child that wasn't their own. 

"I'm sorry to hear that, Bolin." Pema said.

Jinora nudged Bolin, "You know, if you're ever hungry you can join us again. Airbenders aren't supposed to turn away hungry travelers. You can bring your brother too!" She turned to her parents, "It's okay right? He can come back again?"

They took in her hopeful expression and turned towards each other. Tenzin hadn't expected this when he brought the boy here. It had been an impulsive decision made when he was struck by the way he had reminded him of Uncle Sokka. And although he seemed like a good kid, he hadn't known him long and Pema had raised a good point - even if Bolin didn't seem like a bad influence, which he felt was unlikely with the way he had gotten their daughter to open up, what of his brother?

Pema surprised him when she answered her daughter, "Of course he can. Bolin, would you like to bring your brother here for dinner later? Tenzin can take you back to get him and you could stay the night here." She pinched his leg lightly beneath the table. "Right honey?"

"Of course, dear." 

"Thank you! Isn't this great, Bolin?" Jinora smiled brightly.

"Really? That would be awesome, you guys are so nice." Bolin said excitedly, "Thank you, Jinora, it means a lot. Hey! Maybe we could play games and read together, I got this cool new book I've been going through..." 

As the children started talking again, Tenzin turned to his wife. "Are you certain, Pema? I know you were worried about Bolin, and we haven't even met his brother yet."

She nodded, watching the children, "I'm sure. If Bolin is any indication of what this Mako is like, I don't think we have anything to worry about." She hesitated for a moment, then spoke again, "Tenzin, he's too small for an eight year old. And his brother... if he's the same and has been working all this time.."

"I know, Pema." Tenzin sighed. 

"I'm glad they had each other, at least. Jinora is certainly taken with him." 

"I noticed.. it's a relief to see her being so open again. I know that she needs to be around other children, and our situation doesn't lend itself to many options." He looked at their daughter fondly before turning his attention back to Pema, "Honestly, I've been a worried lately - our children are healthy and we're in a good position, but I've been having fears about our them. Whether they could socialize, have friends. Whether I could be the father they needed."

She began to tear up, relieved that he had the same worries as her and had been open about them. "Me too." She kissed his cheek. "And you're definitely the father our girls need."

Tenzin felt a something in his throat that made it hard to speak for a moment. "Thank you, Pema." He said earnestly, looking her in the eyes. "You're definitely the mother they need as well."

She smiled back at him. The sound of a baby crying alerted them to Ikki waking and Pema stood to go to her. "I'll check on her, and she'll probably need a change and to be fed as well so I'll be a while. Have a safe trip going to get his brother."

"Yes, dear."

* * *

  
The conversation continued as Pema left the room. 

"So what's your brother like?"

"Well, he's taller than me and he's always wearing this red scarf that our parents gave him. He can firebend too, he's really cool and mature and stuff."

Jinora seemed excited to hear that, "He's a firebender? That's so cool, I've never seen a firebender before. My aunt and grandmother are both water benders, and we're airbenders. I've never seen an earthbender either."

"Actually," Bolin said good-naturedly, "I'm an earthbender, and you've seen me."

Tenzin was surprised at this, "Really? It's not unheard of for two members of a family to bend different elements in Republic City, but I had no idea you were an earthbender." Normally children with the talent for bending, especially ones as outgoing as Bolin seemed to be, tended to mention it quickly.

"Yeah, well, I'm not very good yet. Our dad didn't have a chance to teach me before... anyway, Mako is really good! Mom was able to give him some lessons, and he has to use it for work sometimes so he's always getting practice in. He can do all sorts of things."

"That's so cool! Can you guys show me some stuff later?" Jinora asked excitedly. "I can show you some of my airbending too."

"I'd be happy to, though to be honest I just figured out how to move a rock a while ago so go easy on me." Bolin laughed. 

"That's still impressive if you haven't had a teacher before, Bolin." It really was, the only person he had personally met who had learned without a teacher had been Aunt Toph, but even she admitted that she had had help from badgermoles and was so exceptional that she couldn't really be used as a standard reference point. "By the way, I'm sure you've noticed that we don't eat meat. It's part of the Air Nomad way of life, respecting all living things and avoiding harm where possible, will this be a problem for you or your brother when we have dinner later?"

"Not at all, this was already the best meal I've had in a long time. Besides, we're on a seafood diet - if we see food, we'll eat it." Bolin joked. Jinora giggled at it.

"That was one of my uncle's favorite jokes," Tenzin said, groaning internally to himself at the pun. 

"Thanks, I got it from that book I was telling her about earlier. Remind me to show it to you after dinner, okay Jinora?" Jinora nodded at him happily. "By the way, Tenzin, it's probably been long enough that Mako should be off work, can we go get him?" He was also just excited to fly again, being brought to the island to begin with had been an adventure all its own. 

"Of course, Bolin. Jinora, could you let your mother know we're heading out now? And see if she needs any help." Tenzin said. 

"Yes, daddy!" She hugged his leg and took off further into the house. Tenzin turned back to Bolin. 

"It'll be too heavy for your brother to join us on the glider, Bolin. Come with me to the air bison pens, we can ride one of them into town."

"You have air bison!?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caught in the act of thievery, Bolin meets Councilman Tenzin - who finds himself liking the young boy that reminds him of his respectable if goofy uncle. Tenzin introduces him to his family and now seeks to meet his brother as well.


End file.
